NGO seeks Radia's conversations with ex-bureaucrat probed

An NGO, which wants the taped conversations of former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia to be made public, today pleaded with the Supreme Court to order a CBI probe into her talk with a former bureaucrat.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation, said that probe is required as the nature of the conversation is not personal and it related to functioning of government departments.
He said it was required to find out whether he was working for Reliance.
A bench of justices G S Singhvi and V Gopala Gowda, however, asked Bhushan not to take name of any person.

"Everybody is entitled to be protected till competent verdict is given by the court," the bench said.
The case was however adjourned for August 21 as senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Ratan Tata, was not available. Tata approached the apex court seeking his private conversations with Radia not to be made public.

The conversations were recorded as part of surveillance of Radia's phone on a complaint to the Finance Minister on November 16, 2007 alleging that within a span of nine years she had built up a business empire worth Rs 300 crore.
The government had recorded 180 days of Radia's conversations--first from August 20, 2008 onwards for 60 days and then from October 19 for another 60 days. Later, on May 11, 2009, her phone was again put on surveillance for another 60 days following a fresh order given on May 8.

The apex court had ordered setting up of a team of investigators to examine the contents of the conversations.
The court had perused the report and transcripts prepared by the special team of investigators and said that "some of the items highlighted will become the subject matter of investigation".